Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is well aware of the narrative and expectations surrounding the team after they loaded up on talent this offseason. The Dodgers are now expected to win the World Series to have their season be considered a success, even more so than before.
However, Roberts’ priority is keeping his team more focused on the present, rather than what lies ahead toward the end of the season.
“I’m going to be out there in about a week (in spring training with) pitchers and catchers. You’ve got to come in fresh,” Roberts said on The Podcast with Joe Posnanski and Michael Shur. “I think I’ve done a good job of getting our guys to buy into the micro of the moment, because certainly this year you get (Shohei) Ohtani, we trade for (Tyler) Glasnow, we get (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto — we gave him over $300 million — it’s going to be ‘World Series or bust.’ I’m going to hear it all spring. I’ve already heard it. That hasn’t changed for me.”
Roberts knows there’s no point of looking ahead.
“You’re not going to win the World Series in February, April, March,” Roberts said. “So you have to get the micro. I want to get guys to come in fresh, come in motivated, play the game the right way.”
This preparation starts next week, when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The rest of the squad will report six days later, and spring training games begin in three weeks.
This will be the ninth season for Roberts as the Dodgers’ manager, and the expectations will be at their highest to bring in another World Series. Regardless of how the Dodgers handle this pressure internally, it’s almost impossible to see anything other than a World Series win a success for the Dodgers.
Photo Credit: Kyle Schwab-USA TODAY Sports
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